Patricia pondered over Bark’s words about a closed-off space unrelated to the imperial family.

When she first heard it, she dismissed it as a secluded village of Heun hunters. But now it sounded like a threat of isolation from the outside world. Why?

Patricia saw Carolina’s frightened expression. However, Patricia herself didn’t find Bark threatening, and she felt attached to this small village. Though she couldn’t remember, she thought it might be nice to live in a place like this for a season, given that she had apparently been confined in the West Tower.

“What are your intentions?”

“Intentions?”

Bark brought the white bird perched on his large-knuckled hand close to his eyes as he asked back.

“Why did you feed us meat laced with sleeping medicine?”

“It’s a Heun funeral custom. We throw meat coated with alcohol and sleeping medicine to protect the deceased’s body, preventing grave robbers from digging up the tomb. In the past, we took turns guarding graves. After about three days, the grave is safe. Well, your eagle will come find you in three days too.”

Three whole days? Patricia couldn’t refute his words, but she couldn’t shake off an odd feeling. It meant they would wake from their slumber only after three days.

By then, Harchen will have returned first.

Patricia desperately missed Harchen. She looked up at the darkening sky, thinking of ways to contact him.

“By the way, Carolina… Carolina, that’s a pretty name. Sounds like a bird’s name.”

Bark pushed the bird on his hand into the air. The white bird flew towards the darkening sky.

“I’d like to offer you dinner, but if you’re returning to the palace, you should head down before it gets darker. It’s already dark and dangerous now.”

“Ah.”

Carolina looked around at the darkened surroundings. Even when the sun was out, an experienced coachman had lost his way on the mountain path, and the steep road seemed dangerous to her as well.

“Well, it might be safer to stay here and go down at dawn.”

Bark shooed away all the birds flying around and looked at Carolina with a composed expression.

“If you insist on going down, my subordinate will guide you with a light to Epi Street, but it might be good to stay by the Empress’s side, who has lost both her long-serving maid and her memories.”

Bark slapped his forehead with his palm again, tilted his head, and smiled.

“Ah, there’s no spare bedroom for the lady? You could share my bedroom with the Empress.”

Patricia frowned. Why talk like that? Is he telling us to go or to stay?

He fed sleeping medicine to the eagle, and this is a closed village. If you’re afraid, leave now. I’ll take you to a safe place. That part was fine, but the next part seemed to imply considering Patricia’s pitiful situation.

Most ladies would be scared and go down, dinner or not. Carolina also looked frightened.

Patricia decided to help her make a comfortable decision.

“Lady Carolina. You probably haven’t prepared for an outing, so return to the palace. Bark’s subordinate will escort you safely to…”

“No, if it’s alright with you, Lady Patricia, I’d like to stay with you.”

Very pretty and.

“Thank you.”

Bark wiped his smiling face with his hand.

“Bee! Tell Kay to prepare a feast for the ladies.”

Bark leapt over the terrace railing and jumped down into the dark yard.

Unlike the large, burly subordinate called Bee, Kay was the only one in this village wearing a shirt, cravat, and even a vest.

He personally pulled a mobile tray with food and set the terrace table. It wasn’t a formal dinner, but he laid out several main dishes, salad, freshly baked rye bread, fruit, and a bottle of Panian, a strong liquor, all at once.

Patricia had expected to dine with Bark, but he didn’t appear even after the table was fully set.

The prepared food was plentiful. Patricia asked Carolina’s permission and suggested that Bern and Annie join them.

Annie, used to sitting at the table with Patricia, scurried over and sat down, but Bern firmly refused.

Patricia felt very awkward with Bern standing like a pillar behind the table where the three women sat.

If she had memories of growing up as an imperial princess, even in the West Tower, she might have overlooked it, but without a concept of hierarchy, she saw Bern as a knight but also as a grateful relationship protecting her. Eventually, she stood up with her limping leg and pulled Bern’s arm to seat him in a chair.

“I have some things I want to ask you too.”

Bern hid his big appetite and ate by cutting the food into small pieces and chewing with his mouth closed. Already distracted, Carolina and Patricia took turns pouring Panian and persistently asked questions.

Finally, Bern spilled everything he knew about the Tane rebellion and the joining of the Karsik Empire’s emperor and knights, only realizing he had been tricked by the two women after he started hiccupping.

“Sir, don’t worry. I had guessed as much.”

Carolina said nonchalantly.

“Then Harchen did indeed go to the Tane capital.”

Annie, with her good appetite and fondness for sleep, dozed off holding a red berry, the tension of the past few days finally releasing. At Patricia’s request, Bern carried the lightly snoring Annie to lay her on the sofa.

Patricia washed up briefly with Carolina’s help and they lay down side by side on the bed.

Regardless of her memories, this would be Patricia’s first time sharing a bed with a peer noblewoman. So her heart was pounding.

Carolina had been with Julia since the cradle, and had often shared a bed with Isabella and Alesia as well. But unlike those times, she felt tense now. Especially, she felt awkward looking at Patricia’s beautiful face that resembled Patrick’s.

They lay stiffly on their backs, looking at the ceiling, feeling awkward.

“Lady Carolina. What kind of girl were you when you were young?”

“My nickname was the Empire’s Black Curtain.”

“The Empire’s Black Curtain, it seems to suit you somehow.”

Carolina slowly told the story of how she got her nickname and how she had been going to the poorhouse since she was young.

Patricia showed particular interest in the poorhouse volunteer work and turned on her side to look at Carolina’s face.

Carolina found it strange. To be talking about her past instead of fancy dresses, jewelry, party gossip, and backbiting about other noblewomen.

Moreover, it was the first time someone had shown interest in her poorhouse volunteer work.

“I’m also interested in establishing an academy for noblewomen. Especially, an academy for training female knights.”

“Oh my, really?”

At some point, they were facing each other closely, letting their imagination soar to even expanding buildings for women-only academies in the Karsik Empire.

Then suddenly, jet-black hair and sunlight-bright blonde hair tangled together as they fell asleep, breathing softly.

Bark, leaning against the bedroom terrace wall, smiled, raising the corners of his mouth as he listened to their low murmurs. White birds were perched in a row beside him.

*

Eden Patterson had three confidants. They were shadows who hid their existence and moved according to Eden’s orders.

Black Ash, Sean, had been by the side of the Heun old woman since the attack on Emperor Kazan. Black Butterfly, Nine, followed Duke Parse like a shadow.

Black Wall, Kin, came to Tane with Eden to assist Patrick. Currently, Kin was standing at the secret wall of Empress Pamila’s Pyrofe Palace.

When Eden was cutting branches from flowering trees and weeding in the West Tower garden, Black Butterfly Nine came. He took off his black hood, knelt before Eden, and bowed his head.

“Master.”

“You’re early? What about Duke Parse?”

“Something has happened.”

Eden and Nine went to Patrick’s office, where the lights were still on.

Black Butterfly, Nine, had been following Duke Parse. On the way to Trier on the outskirts of the capital, Duke Parse and Empress Pamila changed carriages and went to the Leak ducal residence.

Black Butterfly witnessed them watching assassins stabbing animals in the forest behind the mansion, along with Duchess Leak.

After the duchess went inside the mansion, Duke Parse and the Empress argued loudly. Duke Parse got into a carriage.

Black Butterfly, Nine, was conflicted. The assassins seemed to have been called by the Empress. So he remained as the Empress’s shadow instead of following Duke Parse.

“The Empress is dead? Patricia with a sword?”

Patrick and Eden were shocked as they received Black Butterfly’s report.

Eden gritted his teeth as he listened to Nine’s report. Only after hearing that Patricia was safe due to the sudden attack of the Heun hunter chief did he realize his mouth was full of blood.

Patrick couldn’t believe through what channel Patricia had met Empress Pamila and used a sword.

“Really, Patricia did it? This Heun hunter chief Bark. Is nothing known about him?”

Nine reported about the poisoned arrow incident in the Red Forest of Panaho, the punishment of the betraying hunter, and the blood oath sent to Emperor Harchen.

Patrick pondered deeply.

If it became known that the Empress was dead, the birth celebration would be canceled.

And Harchen? If Harchen found out about this, he would go berserk and head to Karsik.

“Haah!”

The morning sun was rising in Tane, and it was the time when dozens of carriages would have departed from Count Retman’s territory.

“A trial for the dead.”

There was half a day left until the operation began.

“Keep this from the Karsik Emperor until the matter is concluded.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eden and Nine answered simultaneously. Patrick tapped the desk with his index finger and spoke towards the wall.

“Jet, come out.”

The boy Jet, who had been standing flat against the wall, quickly came out and knelt before Patrick.

Jet had fallen for Kin, Eden’s confidant Black Wall, who had emerged like a black shadow from the wall of the inn in Luken.

Jet had sworn allegiance to Kin in the style of Luken alley thugs and followed him around on his own. Of course, Kin didn’t even glance at him, let alone respond.

“Jet, I have a job for you.”

Jet, who had received Patrick’s order, went to the Empress’s Pyrofe Palace as Eden had instructed. He introduced himself to the guard knight who blocked the entrance.

“I’m from the Lasbur merchant group. I heard Viscount Norman is staying here. I’ve brought a message from Her Majesty the Empress.”

The guard knight led Jet to Norman’s quarters where he was sleeping. After the servant went inside, it took a while before Norman came out to the reception room, frowning.

He nodded perfunctorily when Jet greeted him.

“Aren’t you one of Boss Binen’s little rats?”

“Yes, the boss told me to come.”

“What is it? At this early hour?”

“Her Majesty the Empress arrived in Luken last night. She said to tell you that due to circumstances, she will arrive at the banquet hall just before the party, after getting ready outside.”

“Pamila…?”

Norman had been waiting for Pamila until late last night anyway.

“Has His Majesty the Emperor been informed?”

“Would His Majesty the Emperor meet with a little rat like me? Her Majesty said for you to inform His Majesty directly, Viscount.”

“Oh ho.”

Norman crossed his arms and stroked his chin. So she wants me to meet the Emperor first. Right, I should have breakfast with the Emperor.